The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-09-22
tuberculosis in Cattle.

tuberculosis in cattle is the same dis
ease as consumption in men. Neither,
says writer in the New England Farmer,
is understood to be durable, though
quack doctors may sometimes offer
remedies to cure consumption. 1t is not
produced by lung worms. The word
tuberculosis is derived from latin word
meaning small tuber. Tubercles are of
various size, from that of a millet seed
to that of large grapes, and sometimes
an aggregation of tubercles form a mass
weighing pound or more. They are
all too large to be found in milk or but
ter. Chemical analysis is unnecessary
for determining the presence of the dis
ease; it is usually quite apparent to the
naked eye, but doubted cases may need
the microscope to determine their true
nature. Animals sometimes fatten well
when affected by this disease in its
earlier stages, but emaciation is one of
the common symptoms. tuberculosis
is disease that is not confined to the
lungs, though it more commonly affects
those organs. 1t may locate itself in al
most any organ or part of the body. It
undoubtedly is frequent cause of abor
ton and of barrenness when the
generative organs are the seat of the dis
ease. Cows that appear to be almost
constantly in heat are often affected with
disease. 1t is transmissible from parent
to offspring by heredity, and from either
male or female parent, but infected
parents may produce offspring that will
not have the disease, though predispo-
sition to the disease is greatly increased
by having diseased parents. The disease
is far more common in adults than in the
young of animals. 1t prevails more in
warm than in cold countries, and in hot
than in cold stables, which accounts in
part for its greater prevalence in herds of
fancy cattle kept in tight, warm barns.
1t is far more common in districts where
the stock is chiefly purchased than where
it is raised. The buyer is more or less at
at the mercy of the seller, for the latter
is the first to discover indications of de-
cline in condition or health, and the
temptation to UNLOAD" upon another is
a weakness not wholly confined to horse
jockies or dealers in stocks.
The disease is most dangerous to man.
KIM wnen Dauly diseased meat or milk
is eaten without thoroughly cooking.
The disease is most contagious when the
tubercles are breaking down; that is,
when they are ripe, and the germs are
being thrown off from the body in the
milk.
There is no doubt whatever that tuber-
culosis in cattle is increasing as our cat
tie are better housed and protected.
Ones chances of being killed by drinking
milk or eating beef from tubercular ami
mails arc probably small, but no one
wants to take that small chance. There
should be greater protection to the pub
lie, and there will be when the people
are sufficiently informed in the matter.
Every person who buys milk or beef has
right to know that the animals pro.
ducing said food are in good health and
not dangerous 10 the community. Cor
respondents who have facts to commu-
uicate bearing on this important ques-
ton cannot be too prompt in making
such facts public property through the
medium of the newspaper. We shall be
glad to give all hearing on the subject.